Karzai flees gunfire at Afghan ceremony

Hundreds take cover during automatic fire in Kabul

Automatic gunfire has broken out at a ceremony in Kabul, forcing the Afghan president and other dignitaries to take cover.

Hundreds of people fled in chaos as shots rang out. It was unclear where the firing was coming from. A live TV broadcast of the event Sunday quickly cut.

President Hamid Karzai was escorted from the scene in a black Landcruiser. He was attending a ceremony marking the defeat of the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan.

A Taliban spokesman said infiltrators were firing at Karzai.